Wednesday, 12 December 2012

How to Help a Fat Cat Lose Weight

There are several steps you can take if your feline is overweight or obese.

Photo: Thy Le / Shutterstock

Many cats are overweight or obese. A recent review by
Kathryn Michel and Margie Scherk summarizes the problem and the steps that
should be taken to help cats lose weight. Their paper begins by discussing the
serious health concerns caused by overweight and obesity: an obese cat is
almost four times as likely to get diabetes as a normal-weight cat, and more
likely to suffer from other problems such as urinary tract disease and
lameness. They point out that just ten extra pieces of kibble a day, over and
above what the cat needs, will cause a 12% increase in weight over the course
of a year.

Many owners are not very good at recognizing that their cats
are overweight. A typical cat should weigh about 4.5kg. Michel and Scherk adapt
figures from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention that scale up cat
weight gain to human dimensions. For example, a cat that weighs 6.8kg – about
50% more than it should – is equivalent to a weight of 98.9kg (218lbs) for a 5’4” woman,
or 115.2kg (254lbs) for a 5’9”man. Apart from using accurate scales, you should also
look at the shape of your cat. The waistline should be visible, as should a
tummy-tuck, and you should be able to feel the cat’s ribs.

So what should you do if your cat is overweight and obese?
Portion control is obviously part of the solution. A cat that is a little overweight should
have a fixed amount of regular food, while very overweight and obese cats should be fed a special weight-loss
diet to ensure they still get enough nutrients. Many people use approximate
measures for food, and an accurate cup measure, or weighing the food, would
be better. Keeping a food diary of everything the cat eats will help you stick to your plan. Remember to include products designed for dental health, as they also have calories.

Michel and Scherk say you can continue to give your cat treats, since it
makes the cat happy, but should reduce the amount of kibble to take account of
calories from treats. To lose weight, a cat needs around 60-70% of
the calories that it would need to maintain its weight. A substantial weight
loss that does not reach normal weight will still have health benefits, so owners
of very obese cats should not feel disheartened – they can still make a
difference.

Engaging in play with your cat will help it maintain a healthy weight.
Photo: Tony Campbell / Shutterstock

The paper also points out other steps that
have been found to make a difference to weight loss, such as feeding via
devices that require the cat to do some work. There are several containers on
the market with holes in, designed for just this purpose, or you could make
your own using a plastic drink bottle. Cardboard tubes – such as from toilet
roll – can be fastened together, and food placed inside so the cat has to reach
its paw in. Another great suggestion is to put portions of the cat’s
daily food on a small plate or in a cupcake case and hide it around the
house, so the cat has to hunt for some of their food.

These ideas count as environmental enrichment for the cat,
and other enrichment activities will help to increase the cat’s exercise. For
example, playing an interactive game with your cat, such as getting it to chase
a toy or laser light (they suggest always ending by putting the light on a toy,
so the cat gets to catch something and doesn’t feel frustrated). Cats
can also be encouraged to use a treadmill, or taken for walks wearing a leash
and harness.

There is some evidence that owners of overweight cats
have a tendency to over-humanize them. This comes from a study of 120 cat
owners by Kienzle and Bergler (2006) in Germany. This study looked at cats that
were not free-roaming (i.e. indoors-only or with access to an enclosed
balcony/garden). Normal weight was defined as a queen under 4kg or a tom under
5kg, and overweight as over 5kg or 6kg respectively. Owners of overweight cats had
a closer relationship with their cat, and were more likely to say the cat consoled and encouraged them. They were also more likely to say their cat was like a child to them. While
both sets of owners talked to their cats, owners of overweight cats were more
likely to talk to their cat, and to talk about topics relating to friends and
family or work. Owners of overweight cats were more likely to watch their cats
eat, suggesting that food played a greater role in their relationship. Owners of normal-weight cats were more likely to play with their cat.

Michel and Scherk conclude that it is important to consider
the cat caregiver when discussing a cat weight loss program. They say, “The
value of encouraging alternative ‘strokes’ – things that make the person feel
good about their interaction with the cat, such as play and a sense of pride in
achieving weight loss goals – is not to be underestimated. Positive feedback,
both from the veterinary team (the outside environment) as well as
self-generated by the client, is vital to the success of a weight loss program.”
Their excellent paper is aimed at vets, but it contains many ideas to help the average
pet-owner.

Do you keep an eye on your cat’s weight? And, do you have any tips for feline weight loss?

This post really teaches us that how we can help a fat cat to lose weight as well as also teaches us that how we can make us determine to lose our body extra fat that are really very annoying for our entire life. Thanks

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We publish a new story every Wednesday morning at 5.30am PST (13.30 UK time).
Companion Animal Psychology Blog was created by Zazie Todd, PhD. Zazie has a PhD in Psychology and an MFA Creative Writing. She is also a member of the Academy for Dog Trainers. Contact by email companimalpsych at gmail dot com, or on twitter @CompAnimalPsych.